Mail-bag fastener.



No. 685,!79. Patented Oct. 22, |90I.

c. sEEEn-s. nAlLAe FAsTENE.

(Application led Mar. l, 1901.) N o M nd el.)

lum @f o um;

TNB Nunms wraps w. Pnnrmumo., WASHINGTON. u. c.

i UNITED STATES-g PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES G. SEEBERS, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

MAIL-BAG FASTENER.

I SPEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 685,179, dated October 22, 1901.

Application iiled March l, 1901.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLns G. SEEBERs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton,in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Bag Fasteners; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had .to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters or" reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.k l y This invention relates to improvements in mail-bags, and comprises a fastening device by means of which the mouth of the bag is secured against a burglarious entrance and which can be easily and quickly opened and closed by those in authority.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the detail description and claims, takenv in connection with the annexed drawings, in which- Figure l is a top view of a mail-bag, showing the fastening device closed. Fig. 2 is an` elevation of the mouth or upper portion of the mouth. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the inner side of the plates of one side of the bag.. Fig. 4 is a top view of the bag open. Fig. 5.l is a view of the inner sides of the plates lying' opposite to those shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section through two of the locking-plates, showing them in their locked position. Y

Referring by letter to said drawings, A designates the upper end ornmouth portion of a mailbag. Secured tothe inner sides of the mouth oi" such mail-bag by rivets f or otherwise are two series of locking-plates B, B, B", C, C', and C. The plates B, B', and Bl occupy positions on one side of the bag and the plates C, C, and O occupy positions on the opposite side of the bag. These plates are hinged together by a series of hinges D. The plate B has two studs h projecting from it.

The plates B have each one of such studs b and a horizontally-disposed angular` catch h'. The plate B has one of such studs b and a staple c. The plate C, which is opposite plate B, has two holes c', into which the studs on said plate B project when brought together.

Serial No. 49,409. (No model The plates O have each an oblong hole cl and a hole c', into which the catches b and the studs h on the plates B project when said plates B/ and C are brought together.

The plate O has an openingd, into which the staple c, and au'opening c', into which the stud h on the plate B, projects when such plates B" and O are brought together. The catches b and the studs b on the plates B, B', and B project into saidopenings in the -plates O, C, and C when the mouth of the jbag is closed, as shown in Fig. l.

catches b vare thus inserted in' their corre# When the sponding openings c, the studs b on such plates enter their respective openings c', and the plates are thus securely interlocked and prevented from any longitudinal movement,

.and thereby the catches b are kept in position in such openings. The staple c, which passes through its opening d iu the plate C, receives a padlock E. When the plates are interlocked with each other, as before described, and this lock Eis in position Von the staple, the mouth of the bag cannot be opened. In opening the mouth of the bag the padlock is removed and the plates B" and C" are drawn apart. This operation permits the remaining interlocked platesto easily separate in one operation. As shown in the drawings, there are eight of these locking-plates used, four on each side.` The two middle plates on each side containthe catches b and their correspondingopenings c. Thenumber'ofsuch plates B and C may be increased; but itis found in practice that two of such plates B and O' on opposite sides will successfully act `as means for maintaining the bag open, as

shown in Fig. 4. These plates, as before stated, are hinged, and thereby the mouth ot' the bag is given a iexible supportwhich adds very little in material weight and yet will maintain the mouth ot' the bag open to receive matter. In closing the mouth of the bag the plates B and C are iirst brought together, the studs on the former plate entering their corresponding openings in the plate C.' VThe first adjacent plate B is then brought in con tact with its respective plate O and. the catch h' thereon permitted to enter its respective opening in such plate C', and so on until the plates B" and C are brought together. 0n the outside of the mouth ofthe sack there are IOC two or more ringse, by means of which the opening of the bag is manipulated, and these rings afford convenient means for suspending the bag in an open condition to receive mailmatter. The simplicity and effectiveness of this attachment will be readily appreciated from the fact that in opening said bag a single operation only is necessary and likewise in closing such bag.

The bag will remain open for the insertion of matter by suspending it by means of a single ring e. Mail-bags now commonly in use require to be suspended by four rings or at four points of its mouth in order to keep it open.

When the bag is closed, asin Fig. 1, the thickness of the mouth will not exceed onehalf an inch.

Having described the invention, the following claims are made:

l. Ina mail-bag fastening, the combination with a series of plates rigidly secured to such mail-bag on the inner side of one side of the mouth thereof and hinged together, the intermediate ones ofl such plates having studs or projections extending therefrom,and horizontally-disposed angular catches on such plates; the remaining ones of such plates having studs or projections thereon, the studs or projections on all of such plates serving to prevent longitudinal movement thereof, and the angular catches on the intermediate ones of such plates serving to lock said plates, a series of plates secured to the opposite inner side of said mail-bag, the intermediate ones of thelast-named series of plates having studopenings and horizontal openings to receive the studs and the angular catches on the in termediate plates of the first-named series, the remaining one of said last-named -series of plates having openings to receive the studs on the adjacent plates of the lirst-named series, and means for locking the plates when they are placed in an interlocked position, substantially as specified.

2. A fastening device for mail-bags, comprising two series of interlocking plates secured to the inner side of the mouth of such mail-bag and hinged together, a portion of the plates of one series having horizontally- 5o disposed angular catches and studs projecting therefrom, and the remaining plates of such series having studs projecting therefrom, a series of plates secured to the opposite side of said mail-bag, a portion of such plates having horizontal openings therein and stud-openings to receive the angular catches and studs on the opposite plates of the firstnamed series, and the remaining plates of the last-named series having stud-openings to re- 6o ceive the studs on the opposite plates of the first-named series, the said studs serving to prevent any longitudinal movement of said plates, and the angular catches on said plates serving to prevent a separation ot' the sides 65 of the bag, and a detachable lock by means of which the Vplates are secured after they are placed in theirinterlocked position, substantially as specified.

3. Iuamail-bagfastening, the combination 7o of a series of locking-plates arranged on the inner side of one side of the mouth thereof, and a series of locking-plates arranged on the opposite inner side of the mouth of said mailbag, the plates of both series having a hinged connection throughout, a portion of such plates provided with studs and stud-openings, and the remaining portion of such plates having angular catches and studs, and openings for said angular catches and studs, the 8o connections between the plates effected by meansofsuchstudsand stud-openingsserving to prevent any separate longitudinal movement of the plates of either series, and the connection between the plates effected by means of the angular catches serving to prevent any separation of the plates of either series while the plates of both series are connected through the studs and stud-openings.

In testimony whereof I atx my signature 9o in presence ot' two witnesses.

CHARLES G. SEEBERS.

Witnesses:

R. J. MCOARTY, C. M. THEoBoLD. 

